Mysterious Best Friend
by Fido123a
Summary: What the crew of the Lagoon didn't know was their resident nice guy was actually more experienced in the shadows than they know. All you'd really have to do to know is look at who his best friend is. (Fem!izaya)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey guys, this is just a story idea I had to get out of my head. I also have two other fics. Anyways, review and such, let me know what you think and if I should continue.**

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Rokuro Okajima, currently employed by the Lagoon Trading company (formerly of Asahi Industries). Doesn't really talk much about his past that must with his coworkers, and that's just fine with them. Hey, its not like they don't have secrets of their own, it was pretty much a requirement for some shady past in this city.

What city is that? That would be Roanapur Thailand, city of sin. A real villain's paradise. Several organizes crime bosses called it home and the police were pretty much useless (corrupt from top to bottom). The biggest ones would probably have to be Bai Ji-Shin Chang of the 14k triad, Sofiya "Balalaika" Pavlovna of Hotel Moscow and Sister Yolanda of the ripoff church.

Despite all that, his crew mates came to believe that "Rock" (as they called him) was an exception to the rule. Unknown to them was the fact that while he himself was pretty clean, his friends from back home could be pretty shady. Especially his best friend (who was female by the way). The girl had her hands in just about everything she could touch from their little corner of the world and (for some reason) had her eyes set on him. It was probably because he was her first friend from elementary school. She was raven haired and (if he had to admit it) was rather attractive. She also hung around a back ally doctor who was also a friend of his.

At 10 years old, Mr Okajima had been seated right next to her. Being the polite guy that he is, he made the introduction.

"Hello there, my name is Rokuro Okajima. I hope we can be friends."

Despite his rather polite greeting and friendly outside appearance, he was dismissed at first. She simply glanced at him and turned back to what she was doing.

"Hn."

That was all he got his first day. From there he noticed several things about this mystery in his little world. First was she didn't really like getting too close to people, or too far from them either. She'd later explain that she enjoyed "observing" people, it was simply a hobby. During breaks she'd be in the library instead of socializing with others. This would actually be something that started their friendship, as he himself preferred the solitude of the library.

Another thing was she was as smart as they came. She was student council vice president and won awards for things like poetry and independent research. She even went to essay contests. How she made time for it all he had no idea.

He couldn't help but think that if she was in his family his parents would love her. Seeing as the care more about academic performance than actually showing affection.

The final thing he noticed was that she was surprisingly athletic. She was apparently a star at several sporting events. He only noticed this because his family attended some of them and he recognized her as one of the contestants. When he pointed this out to his parents, they encouraged his desire to make friends with her.

She was actually pretty popular within the student body, especially with the guys. Many of them jealous of him for being so close to her. He chalked this up mostly to her academic status and good looks. Hell, the fact she agreed to be his friend surprised him. Rock never really considered himself all that interesting.

It all really started when she arrived the library one and saw him there reading a manga. Again she was dismissive of his presence, simply doing her own thing in silence.

He was alright with that. She didn't have to talk to him if she didn't want to. It continued like this for a while. They'd sit in silence together and do their own things.

All things considered, her friendship probably came more from her getting comfortable with his presence than anything. When she first spoke to him he actually jumped a little.

"Why do you come here."

He almost dropped his manga and looked up. Her gaze was boring straight into him. He was a little intimidated. He gulped before he spoke.

"F-For the same reason you do I guess. To be alone."

She tilted her head a bit, as if processing what he said. Then she really surprised him and laughed, like genuinely laughed. For a few minutes it was nothing but her laughter, which he didn't mind. She then calmed down and spoke.

"You know, you aren't half bad. I might actually keep you around."

"Really? Cool!"

"I've heard a lot about your family from my parents. Yours have big fancy government jobs don't they?"

"Yeah, they also told to try and be friends with... B- but that's not why I wanna be friends! I swear!"

"Hnhn, well then...First question, why do your parents want you to be friends with me?"

"Um, I-I kinda told them about your achievements in school when we saw you at a track meet." He was scratching the back of his head nervously. This was probably the longest anyone has heard her talk.

"Ah, so they're those kinda of people are they? The kind that only care about status and achievements." Finger on her chin she took on a thoughtful look.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Nevermind that for now, if you're lucky I might explain later. Second question, why do You want to be my friend? Honest answer."

"Eh, you look nice enough and I was taught to be polite.. And I guess you just looked miserable when I first saw you sitting all by yourself. I don't really like seeing people sad and stuff, it bums me out too."

For a second time she laughed. He found himself enjoying the sound. It was good to see her not so miserable looking. As he said, sad people bum him out too. It's like there something innate in him that wants to help people in need when he sees them. Maybe he has a problem. Her voice pulled him from his head.

"Okay, you are too funny. I am definitely keeping you around. Now then, shall we take this from the top?" As she said the last part she gestured to him with her hand.

He paused for a second, surprised at what he heard. He never expected her to actually agree to friendship. Then he realized she was waiting for him to reintroduce himself.

"Oh! Hello, my name is Rokuro Okajima and I hope we can be friends." He expended his hand and bowed.

She stood up, returned his bow with one of her own a greeted him in kind, "Hello there Mr Okajima, my name is Kanra, Kanra Orihara. I humbly accept your friendship."

With that, she grabbed his hand and shook it. The whole think was a little formal for two 10 year olds. When they realized that they both burst into laughter, which got them scolded and stared at. He then remembered that her family was actually pretty well known and respected. Huh, they had more in common that he previously thought. Oh his parents were going to love this.

His first friend and she's from a respected family.

They began talking and a lot about each other.

Although he wouldn't realize it until much later, this was truly the day his life changed forever... Oh and the start of his habit of attracting dangerous women.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Well, here's another chapter guys... Honestly? I was a little hesitant to post this one... I don't like it all that much. Thing just took a life of it's own when I wrote it.**

 **Whatever, it's already here and shit... Review, let me know what you think and stuffs.**

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"You know, if you're so set on these observations of yours you might as well keep a record. Think of it like a science experiment, if you don't record and organize it you'll lose the data. Plus, if you continue for a while you can compare and contrast. This should give you a more accurate and consistent picture." Rokuro hadn't taken his eyes off his textbook or stop taking notes as he said that. They were in the library as per usual.

Kanra, on the other hand, had to in order to regard what he said. She tilted her head as several questions ran through it. What on earth brought her friend to say this? Was there some prompt she missed? If so, how had she missed it? She was sure her observation skills were better than that. Unless, it was a change in herself or behavior that caused him to see something she hasn't. If that was the case, what had changed about her?

When Rokuro felt the stare he looked up to see a rather obvious (to him at least) look of confusion. He decided that leaving her in suspense was a cruel thing to do. The girl didn't like it when she missed something.

"I noticed you have gotten more intense and stuff with your little side project."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know how else to describe it. While others might not see it, I know you. Your grades aren't as perfect as usual and you zone out every now and then. Which isn't you, like at all. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this is becoming an obsession."

His attention returned to his textbook, he intended to ace this year.

"If you're going to be that noticeable, you might as well treat it like a sociology case study."

Her gaze returned to her own textbook but her attention wasn't there. It was only their second week of middle school and she was already slipping in her performance. Sure, if it had been anyone other than Rokuro it wouldn't have been noticed at all, but still. How could she fix this?

His suggestion came to mind. The more she thought on it, the more it made sense.

That was it! That was what she could do in case anyone else noticed a change in her behavior. Just tell people she desires to be a sociologist when she's older.

"I will take what you have said into consideration. Thank you for your input."

"You are very welcome."

Her attention went back to her studies, she had grades to fix after all. She also now understood where the initial statement had originated from. Her friend had stated the truth when he said helping or assisting people was ingrained in his nature. The suggestion was just another one of his ways of helping someone in need. She had formulated several theories over the years to explain this quirk of his. The most solid one came from his description of his home life. Heavy expectations and a lack of the usual level of affection a child normally receives from their parents.

As for the exact motivation, that proved a little difficult to pinpoint. Was it a need for the praise received when he helped someone? The politeness and manners drilled into him resulting in a need to keep up appearance for the sake of the family? Perhaps a lack of self-esteem making him seek out worth from others.

In the end he had helped her more than he realized. By both pointing out something she'd missed and how to cover up until the issue could be fix. Her decision to keep him around had proved to be a wise one indeed.

Though she could never fully figure him out, he had helped her on multiple occasions. Besides, the enigma he left to her had proved entertaining in its own right.

What Kanra didn't know was that Rokuro was having some trouble figuring her out as well. Her increasing interest in humans and their behavioral patterns was strange on it's own. Nothing he could come up with explained this interest.

Then there was her tendency to dismiss anyone who tried to get too close to her (or him on a few occasions). And that was only if she didn't outright belittle or demean them with surprising accuracy (though that was usually reserved for the more persistent ones). If she was trying to study the human condition, wouldn't the best place to be be in the thick of it?

Also, if he was being honest, she was starting to seem a little possessive of him. He had no guesses on that one. Oh well, that one wasn't as bad as the others. He had a few friends and that was just fine with him. He didn't need a large crowd. Plus, she mainly limited her control to other females and his parents said they were just a distraction anyways. If anything, she was doing him a favor by keeping them away (what he didn't know was that this was exactly why she did it...to help him avoid complications with his parents). She also did it in the least romantic way so he didn't have to answer annoying rumors or questions. That was a plus.

The next few weeks went relatively normal for the two.

The only real changes came from Kanra. She now kept a journal of her "studies" and worked twice as hard to keep up with her grades.

They still studied together in their free time. A few short conversations were usually enough to satisfy him. Besides, if this was an actual friendship then a little give and take was obligatory. And that was completely fine with her.

The occasional student still came to Rokuro for help on certain assignments. He helped them as he always did, even if his own grades weren't as good as they could be as a result.

Kanra still kept her distance from other people.

A few guys would still hit on her every now and again, even though she never responded. It seemed her cold demeanor and dismissive personality only spurred them on.

The male student body still resented his friendship with her. Even when everyone knew they weren't more than friends.

Overall, middle school went almost exactly like elementary school did for the duo.

Well, that all changed when one Shinra Kishitani came strolling into their lives. The weird kid with the glasses turned both their worlds upside down.

"No, I don't your stupid biology club."

"Aw! Come on!"

"I said no."

"I thought you'd love it."

"Now what in the world would give you that idea? What indicated that I'm into biology."

"Well you said you like observing humans on the first day. Humans are living creatures aren't they? Please!? I'll let you be club president!"

This was scene he walked in on when he went to find his friend. It put him off a bit. Oh well, the quickest way to get answers is to ask questions.

"Hey Kanra, who's this?"

"Oh, just you. This is a pesky insect who won't quit bothering me."

"Hm, another addition to your fan club it seems."

This is where the offending party decided to interject.

"Hey there! My name in Shinra Kishitani! You must Rokuro Okajima."

"Oh, that's right, you're in our class aren't you?"

"Yep, that's me! Hey! You wanna join my biology club? I tried to ask her but she keeps denying."

"He he, yeah that sounds like her. Now, about your offer, can you give me some time to think it over?"

"Sure! Maybe you can get her to join too! Seeing as you're her friend and all. The more the merrier! "

"I'll try my best. Kanra I think it's best we get going. See you around Shinra."

With that, Rokuro and Kanra began walking away. As they were leaving, kanra too one last glance at the weird kid. This of course didn't go unnoticed by Rokuro, and he just couldn't resist a chance to tease his quiet friend.

"Something on your mind? Did that guy manage to do the impossible and actually catch your eye hmmm?"

"There's something...off... About him."

She then began to ask around about the strange kid. Most of the time the answers were the same, he's weird and talks about monsters all the time. The more people she asked, the more it became apparent that he was fundamentally different from her in a very key way. He wasn't interested in humans at all. Rokuro understood her newest interest the moment he heard about the kid's interests.

'Guess she's going to change her mind about joining the biology club now. Shinra's going to be ecstatic about this.'

And he was right of course. The next day, she went up to the glasses wearing kid and said she'd join if she got the vice president seat. An offer he happily accepted. Rokuro was pretty much forced to join as well, seeing as joining a club without her best friend just wasn't Kanra's style. When Shinra told them he'd leave everything up to them and expected nothing, the confusion hit them like a ton of bricks. Rokuro just had to bring this up.

"So... you're not into biology? Then why did you start a biology club?"

"Well, you see... The girl I love said to me 'Shinra, you don't have any friends and I'm worried. You should join a club or something.' And so here we are. I think two friends should be enough to satisfy her."

"Ah, that makes sense... I think."

Then Kanra decided to get a word in.

"Alright then, as vice president I propose that in the event of your death we put your rotting corpse on display."

Rokuro could only sigh at her words, having expected something like that. Shinra, on the other hand...

"I like it! Though, what'll you do if my corpse doesn't rot?"

Then the two went on to have a conversation about something Rokuro had no interest in. That was until a certain bit of information slipped out of Shinra's mouth.

"How do you know so much about American customs?"

"Oh, my dad works for this corporation called nebula and has to go there sometimes."

Rokuro perked up at that.

"Did you say nebula? As in the international pharmaceutical conglomerate?"

"The very same! In fact, he's one of the lead researchers! They trust him with all kinds of secrets and stuff! Why? Is there something you wanted to know? I mean I can ask my dad if you want."

"Maybe later, it's just I never expected that. My parents bring it up all the time."

Indeed there was more this weird kid with glasses than met the eye. His parents were going to love this.

What they wouldn't know was just how crazy these friends of his are. Not like that mattered anyways, if he enjoyed his time with them, he wouldn't care. The family was pleased and he got something resembling a normal childhood (well, as normal as it can get around these two anyways). The small modicum of happiness he received wouldn't last too long (it never does in his life).

Kanra somehow conned him into turning the club into a gambling ring. He was naturally completely against the idea at first.

"Why not?"

"Because, this isn't actually our club remember? Plus, what if something happens and someone goes crazy or whatever?"

"You worry too much. Shinra isn't even here half the time and specifically said he doesn't care what we do with the club. If something does happen we'll deal with it then. Besides, the students here should be smart enough to know the rules of placing bets."

"I don't know... I've seen some pretty stupid people here."

"Ugh! Fine, I'll just move ahead without you. There has to be someone desperate enough to help me."

He knew that it was a ploy however, the thought of her going it alone overrode his sense of danger. Damn him and need to help people. And she knew exactly this would happen (though he did hesitate more than she expected).

"Fine! I'll help you! But we're going to have to find a way to reduce the risks involved. Oh, and I handle the money, it's what I'm good at."

"Deal."

They shook hands and he could only sigh, "I feel like I just got played."

The smug smirk she gave him as she went out the door told him everything he needed to know. Well, almost everything, the motivation for making him help wouldn't come until much later. Not even she understood her actions in that moment. Eh, it was a mystery for another time.

Much to both his satisfaction and disappointment, he had been right and something did happen. And it all started we some stupid kid stole his dad's money and placed a bad bet.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Yeah, sorry about the long wait for a short chapter. At least it hits hard (he said lamely). I was writing two stories at the same time.**

 **-Next update might have a time skip... What do you guys think? Would be near the beginning of Black Lagoon.**

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The day started so normally. None of them knew that by the end everything thing would be changed. Then again, isn't it always the unexpected events that rock the boat?

Well, at least one could take comfort in the fact that, "They were such normal kids" was 100% wrong here. All three of them were pretty broken from the start. All they needed was a push. Though, they might've had legitimate futures.

It seemed like business as usual in the biology club that didn't actually care about biology. They were just wrapping up operations. Rokuro was updating the records he insisted on keeping (unintentionally making them look like bookies). He was honestly surprised at the number of students and teachers that showed up. It was probably the teachers that kept them from getting caught.

Kanra was sitting next to the window listening to the radio and sorting out the winning and losing bets. The expression on her face was a mix of total focus and slight boredom, which meant to those who knew her that a new scheme would be needed. She wore the button up shirt and black pants of the male uniform. The boys had no idea how she did it but she convinced the school to switch her to male uniforms (she found skirts to be massively impractical). Shinra suggested that maybe she blackmailed key members of staff, to which she gave the boys ambiguous answers. The theory had merit for totally sounding like something she'd do.

Shinra usually didn't show up most days. When he did today, he and Kanra went straight into a conversation they've had many times before. It was almost an exercise in futility with how she always responded. Honestly probably would've went exactly the same way had the day not decided to get exciting.

Rokuro just zoned them out and went about his own business. If this were like any other time it'd be over in a few minutes.

"Come on we've talked about this. You've gotta stop taking bets on baseball games."

Bored with this predictable conversation from the start, she just droned out her responses.

"What do you care? My activities don't really affect your life."

"Because I've already told my family that you two are my friends and if they find out you're doing something illegal..."

"Sounds like you can't make you're own decisions. Letting others think for you. You're such a puppet."

"I wouldn't mind being a puppet for the woman I love."

"Tch."

And that's when the door slid open revealing a rather panicked looking student. His name was Nakura and was a regular gambler. His voice was matched his look.

"Hey Nakura, sorry but betting's closed for the day."

"I know, listen. That bet I made earlier? I need the money back! If my dad finds out I took it from his wallet he'll kick my ass!"

"Sorry but that's not my problem, you know the rules."

"Come on! Please!?"

"No can do."

She was smiling like she just found a new toy to play with. Honestly? This should've been Rokuro's first clue as to how messed up his friend was. His only reference however was Shinra... Yeah, his judge of character wasn't really developed yet. When the knife came out the gleam in her eyes and the predatory grin on her face kinda made him uncomfortable.

That and the stool in her hands as she got ready to defend herself.

"You're always after the easy money. Whenever there's a big winner you're always there asking for a handout. We've gotten complaints."

"That's not true! I just need the money back!"

"Can't do that. It'd be bad for business. You can't cancel your bets here."

It all played out in slow motion as Nakura charged at her with the knife. The Shinra did something that shocked the hell out of everyone in the room. He jumped in front of Kanra and took the knife to the gut. The look on her face said it all, she didn't understand his action at all.

Nakura ran off and Shinra stopped both his friends from calling for help. Being the son of a doctor helped him keep a cool head and he stopped the bleeding with duct tape. Even if his dad was a total nutcase who enjoyed dissection a little too much to be healthy, no one could deny his medical genius. He said he it was a wasted opportunity seeing as the woman he liked wasn't even there to witness his "great act of bravery."

That was when Kanra said something neither boy would forget. She picked up the knife that was discarded and spoke.

"Shinra, do you mind if we spin this me being the one who stabbed you?"

Rokuro looked at her in confusion.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"If you say yes, I'll spend the rest of my life making his miserable."

Rokuro saw that gleam in her eyes again, this was the exact kind of game she'd been craving. Was it wrong that he was sharing a bit of her excitement? Probably. It wouldn't be until years later that he'd realize just how affected he was.

One of the main differences between them was while Rokuro was content to just ride out his boredom, Kanra has to get rid of it.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Well, here it is! I guess I really don't have much to say this time around. A little characterization here, a plot kickstart there...yup, it's your basic shit. I generally go free flow with this story...lett letit lead me rather than the other way around so... Take that as you will.**

 **\- I set up a page on Facebook (link:** **Fido123a/ ) if that doesn't work just look up The Operative (a SasuHina pic). I mean, if'n you want updates, random thoughts, and my general weirdness... It's up to you.**

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There she was, typing away on her computer setup. Something about the situation just didn't sit right with her. Borneo had a few international airports, so why send "sensitive information" by boat from Bangkok? Also, why pay for illegal ship travel anonymously?

Answer, you didn't want the information traced back to you should it be discovered. Information like that is the kind people paid for, the kind that gave people like her a business. That was why she was currently running a decryption program against the copy she made before Rokuro left. Nearly$100billion in illicit activity, organizations that operated international markets, and a region where hostile take overs were the safest options. His company decided he was disposable and she needed insurance.

These business suit types were all the same. Always only concerned about the profit margins and their social standing.

Kanra stopped typing and stood in front of the window looking over Tokyo. The look on her face was a rare serious thing, few people ever saw it. Some might even say she looked worried (she'd deny it of course). Getting attached wasn't part of her plan, it just sorta happened. It was lonely and isolating being as intelligent as she was. People dragged out problems with obvious solutions until they snowballed simply because looking in a mirror wasn't for them. She found herself incredibly interested in this phenomenon as well as completely unable to relate. Eventually she found herself in the massively painful position of being incapable of creating rapport with anyone outside the two friends she had. All three were the equally smart and each had a different coping mechanism.

She turned her insights into a game to stave off boredom and keep herself distracted. Shinra just detached himself and lost all Interest in people. Rokuro just kept his head down and suffered through it...and developed a bit of a drinking habit (cough*understatement*cough). Finding people on their level was just as if not more valuable (and rare) to them than pink diamonds (well, maybe not Shinra, he really didn't care). Pinks are the third rarest diamonds in the world, as Rokuro so helpfully informed her one day during a chess match one day.

It's been a strange few years since that day in middle School.

After being released from police custody, she went and continued to build her reputation. Rokuro continued to do his schoolwork like the good little student he was. When he failed to get into college on his first try his family all but abandoned him. That meant he needed a new place to live.

Naturally, Kanra was more than willing to open her guest room to him. That's how it came to be that for the last 4-5 years he'd been living in her apartment. People found it a little jarring to discover she had a roommate. It was even weirder to see two people who were almost exact opposites coexist so naturally. While she was an information broker who regularly engaged in head games with the people around her to observe the outcome, he was an average salaryman who lived a boring life with a whistle-clean routine.

She was pulled from her thoughts when two of the computers in her setup gave notifications. Turning around, she decided the file Rokuro was transporting was a higher priority. Looking at what it contained gave her a grin. When she switched over to the other computer and saw it had data from multiple Asahi management computers and an audio file she immediately sifted through it. Getting the spyware installed and bugs planted was as simple as talking to the security and custodians. When she was done the look on her face was downright shark-like.

"Naughty, naughty."

This was going to be fun.

Meanwhile, Rokuro had made it on his boat and was making his way to Borneo. From there he'd had the files to the section chief take a flight back to Japan. A nice simple business trip, right? A break from looking over his shoulder for blonde bartenders and surprisingly friendly amnesiac dullahans. Just a few days with normal people and no adrenaline.

Unless you counted the fact that his boat just got attacked by pirates asking 'Where's the jap?' On a normal day he'd be offended by the racial insult (not much...just enough to irritate him). The crew gave him up rather quickly. He guessed the paycheck wasn't big enough to cover gun threats. The fist coming straight for his face triggered some of his instincts and he evaded it like a sign post. When he tried to run like always did when Shizuo attacked Kanra a few bullets stopped him from getting too far (not that he had any options for escape).

"He's pretty fast, I'll give him that."

"Nah, the pussy just got lucky."

The guns in his face then convinced him to fess up the flash drive pretty quickly. After confirming that they had the right file the big black guy (who seemed to be the leader) started giving a parting warning.

 _'I'm gonna live. Thank God I'm gonna live!'_

His relief was short lived, however. Yeah, the 9mm pointed at his head kinda killed that. The obviously American woman's words of served to deliver a bit of overkill on his good mood.

"Why are you looking so relieved? You're gonna tag along with us. Dumbass"

"Y-You're joking right?"

Next he knew, he was on the torpedo boat speeding away from the transport ship. His gut told him his old life was drifting away. He just had to ask one more time.

"You're joking right!?"

Back in Japan Kanra was just listening to an emergency board meeting Asahi was currently holding. As the discussion progressed, her face got less and less pleased. The last part simply pissed her off, they were not surviving this. The tone in Mr. Kageyama's voice was a dead giveaway for his intentions.

"...This is out chance. We simply cannot trust the word of the mafia on this. We must get the drive at all costs before it reaches them."

"Before it reaches them? But how?"

"(Throat clearing) I understand. The board will leave this matter in your hands, Kageyama. Choosing what actions to take will also be your responsibility."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** **Look who's back! Sorry about the wait, got busy with work on top of moving. Not to mention my data got destroyed twice. Whatever, here's chapter five. Originally was going to continue with Rock's story but then I rewatched Durarara and inspiration struck. Oh well, it helps establish when the story takes place in the DRRR timeline.**

 **\- To the guest who suggested I post this somewhere else... what site where you talking about? The review didn't really say.**

 **\- Tsukiko: Sorry girl, they're going to hate each other for now. I just love that "kill on sight" rivalry they have (doesn't help I'm partial to Shizurona). However, like I said earlier, I'm pretty much letting this story write itself. I'm just here to put words on paper so if it wants to go that direction I'll let it.**

 **Anyways, be sure to check out my FB page (link in my bio... Mihawk pic). UNTIL NEXT TIME!**

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Here he was trying to pick up chicks with his best friend because apparently his game was weak. Actually, it was more like Mikado was just watching Masaomi fail as he tried to hit on chicks way out of his league (some of them were in their 30's for goodness sake). Masaomi was persistent if nothing else, Mikado had to give him that. After running into Kadota and his crew Masaomi decided to give him a little pep talk (which was kinda undercut by his delivery...though it did lift his Mikado's mood a bit).

That's when they noticed the commotion going on down the alley.

"Woah check it out, that chick is totally getting bullied."

"But those other girls are so cliche they're more funny than scary."

That's when another stereotype decided to make himself known (apparently one of the girl's boyfriend). He seemed like he was actually kinda dangerous (even if his behavior was completely ridiculous) so Mikado quickly decided he had to help the girl getting bullied. Just as he was about to put his plan into action he heard a voice from behind.

"Bullies huh? You wanna save the day, don't you?"

Both boys quickly turned around to see a rather good looking woman standing behind them. Her eyes were a shade of brown that was almost red. Before he could even stammer out a reply, Mikado was being led down the alley and was unceremoniously pushed in between the bullies and Anri (the victim). The girl in front was the first to speak up.

"What dork?"

Again he was cut off from forming a response by that mysterious woman. She was wearing a smirk the whole time which kinda added to relxed, playful vibe she was giving off.

"Bullying people is lame. It's pathetic really."

"What are you, like 40? Butt out."

"Listen, it's not my problem if you nice girls get beat to death and die. I could shove your teeth down your throat or you could bag on my age when I'm only 23, I don't care. You're in a class so beneath me it doesn't matter."

"Huh?"

"Human beings are weak things. However, I'd rather avoid beat up kids."

Suddenly the front girl's bag strap was sliced and it fell to the ground, spilling out its contents.

"So I guess my only option is take your precious cell phone and smash it."

She instantly went from relaxed to manically stomping on the girl's phone. This lasted for about a minute.

"And now I'm bored."

That's the chick's boyfriend stepped up. The woman went back her relaxed posture, though her tone had a bit more mocking laced in.

"Well, aren't you a big boy."

Apparently he could tell she was making fun of him because he immediately tried to throw a punch. It didn't even come close to landing. Mikado couldn't help but notice that her evasion looked suspiciously like a ballet twirl. They guy slipped and when he went to get up the top of his head was completely shaven. He freaked out which, in turn, caused the girls to freak and scatter.

A few moments later they were gathered in front of the alley. Mikado found it a bit weird that Masaomi wasn't hitting on her. In fact, he actually seemed kinda scared of her. She addressed Mikado first.

"Well, aren't you smooth? The knight in shining armor routine? Classic."

That brought him out of his thoughts in embarrassment. She then turned her attention to Masaomi.

"Well, it's been a while hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it has."

"Isn't that a Raira uniform? Congrats on getting in."

"Oh, thanks. I didn't expect to see you around here, Kanra. You're not usually in Ikebukuro."

Wait, didn't Masaomi just warn him about pissing off a Kanra a few days ago? Her attention shifted back to Mikado.

"Oh, he's just a friend."

"My name is Kanra Orihara, yours is?"

He nervously took a polite bow and introduced himself. The whole scene kind of reminded her of the day she and Rokuro became friends. She liked this kid already.

"I'm Mikado Ryuugamine."

"Sounds like the name of an air conditioner."

Masaomi decided to step back in.

"What brings you out this way?"

"I came to see someone, and now I have."

The teens didn't know it was a half truth. She was actually busy ruining the reputations of three key board members of Asahi Industries, meeting Mikado was just a happy accident. The moment didn't last long before a trash can came through the air, hitting her. At the other end of the street was a blonde bartender, and (despite his smile) he looked absolutely pissed at her (confirmed by his tone when he spoke).

"What's up Kanra? Haven't I told you never to set foot in Ikebukuro?"

Kanra got up and flipped her hair, adopting a look of smirking complete annoyance (probably at the bartender's existence).

"Shizu-chan. Last I heard, you had some gig working by the west gate."

"Got fired ages ago, and I'm pretty sure I told you never to call me that. My name's Shizuo Heiwajima, try to get it right."

Wait, wasn't that the other person he was warned about? The playfulness started seeping back into Kanra's vibe.

"Aw come on Shizu-chan, so I pinned you for something you didn't do. Who knew you'd get so mad?"

"Oh I'm not mad, I just wanna beat the shit out of you."

"You know the problem with you, Shizu-chan, is that you don't listen to reason. That's bad, like really bad."

With one fluid motion Kanra flicked out a knife and aimed it right at Shizuo.

"Now let me go."

The standoff only lasted a few tense seconds. The idiot from earlier showed up with his crew, apparently in an attempt at revenge for earlier. Kanra just had to get a sly comment in.

"What's with the violence against women today?"

The teens overheard a bit of the gang's conversation.

"Yo, what's with the bartender?"

"I dunno, he wasn't here a second ago."

"Is that, Shizuo Heiwajima?!"

That caught the already irritated blonde's attention.

"What the hell do you want?"

Now fear is a powerful thing, it can either help or hurt you in big ways. In this case it caused one of the gang members to do something incredibly stupid. He tried to attack Shizuo. For a split second it looked like they actually got him, then he straightened back up. His next words caused a chill to go through the gang members.

"You aimed for my head. You have to know a blow like that could kill a guy, right? That means you were intentionally trying to kill me, right? Tha means whatever happens next..."

He turned to the guy that hit him with a smile that promised unearthly pain.

"... Is what you deserve, right?!"


	6. Chapter 6

**AN** **: Shorter chapter than I wanted but I wanted to update more... Figured I left you guys hanging long enough. The story is only 7something words... Mor characterization than anything... Anyways, hope you enjoy**

 **:::-:::**

After replaying the recordings from Asahi industries several times for hour after hour she decided one: they weren't seeing tomorrow. Not as a company anyway, no...death would be too quick for their crime against her. This was a crime to critical to forgive.

Especially not with how dismissive they'd been with his life. Treating him like a despoable cog when his mind was one of the most valuable they could've ever found.

No, Kanra was going to tear apart their entire lives...and she was going to do it when they thought they succeed. She was sure that the Russian they were currently at odds with would hire a competent crew and they'd keep Ruko-kun (her nickname when making sure other women didn't distract him from his career) alive. When an agreement had been reached, he'll would descend on the entire Corporation.

They had messed with her bestfriend (which wasn't an easy accommodation to come by. Shinra had been number 2), now they were gonna pay. All she had to do was wait for the perfect time to strike.

On the bright side, Roku-kun may finally embrace that true nature of his she'd seen lurking beneath the surface or his weak and submissive demeanour. She had poked and prodded at it, but (sigh) never achieved success. She could tell there was something he tried to hide under that soft skin of his. He was a wolf hiding beneath the skin of a sheep, and didn't like that (him hiding his true nature). Both her and Shinra had embraced their wild sides, what hadn't he? Why was he trying so hard to hide it, to be faceless?

Some of the people she'd recruited in her initial surveillance had became worried about work. She quickly quelled this fear with either offers of work in other corps or within her organization itself. This ensured they remained loyal and could be used later...win-win.

Kanra was usually a paitent woman but knowing Roku-kun was still in danger still worried her and sleep became impossible (she hadn't slept since the news of the kidnapping came to her).

That had been 12 hours ago...she only took an hour nap since the day he'd been given the assignment...36 hours ago.

She had to stay vigilant if she was to strike at the right moment.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

Right now, Rock (as the American pirate few named him) was sipping on his beer in a bar somewhere in Thailand. All the patrons looked rough in terms of career. As a man who's career required him to understand languages (including: Spanish, Danish, English, Russian, Romanian, Chinese (mandarin and Cantonese), German... And a bit of a few others) he could hear and understand just about everyone in the bar. Most spoke with crass and rude words. Not to mention the gun on every single table.

"Why is there a gun on every table. Is the the so called 'bar at the end of the world' you see in westerns?"

Dutch (the pirate captain) responded, "Good analogy, this place was founded by the southern Vietnamese who survived the war. They started taking in fugitives from all over then, before we knew it, the place had gone straight to hell. Don't like it?"

"Hookers, junkies, mercenaries, irredeemable criminals every single one of them."

"Hold on, I gotta make a call."

The blond spoke next.

"You can give up on trying to figure him out. After being around him for two year all I know is he's tough, intelligent and eccentric."

"You seem diffent, where are you from?"

"A collage in Florida. Managed to piss off the mafia and the FBI at the same time. Then-"

"Then my ass came and swooped in saving him from getting his ass tossed overboard. Now stop with the worthless storytelling. Too young to be reminiscing. In my opinion beer is no different from piss. Stuff will never get you drunk. A real man takes rum."

Then the drinking contest started.

While his crew were talking to the hostage he was calling a woman known as Balalaika. The conversation was nothing but bad news.

A mercenary company was hired by Asahi and hired to killed the crew with an unlimited budget.

That's when the grenades rolled in.


End file.
